Oliver Hirschbiegel's Hitlerdrama Downfall was the big winner at the weekend's Bavarian Film Awardstaking home prizes in three categories.

Constantin Film's BerndEichinger received the Euros 200,000 Producers Award, while Best Actor honourswent to Bruno Ganz for his performance as Adolf Hitler in his last days in thebunker under the centre of Berlin. In addition, Downfall was voted bythe readers of Treffpunkt Kino magazine, listeners to the local radio stationBR3 and the viewers of the Kino Kino film magazine as the year's best film.

Other films recognisedincluded Dennis Gansel's Second World War drama Napola, HansWeingartner's Cannes competition film The Edukators and Thomas Grube andEnrique Sanchez Lansch's music and dance documentary Rhythm Is It!,featuring Sir Simon Rattle, while theHonorary Award was presented to Oscar-winning director Volker Schloendorff (TheTin Drum, The Ninth Day) for his life's work.

Moreover, this year's awardceremony saw the introduction of the new prize category "Comedy"which was - not surprisingly - won by Michael "Bully" Herbig for hisscifi sendup Dreamship Surprise which was the top film at the German boxoffice last year.

Bavaria's prime-ministerEdmund Stoiber pointed out that the Bavarian Film Award had served as aspringboard for many an up-and-coming talent from Franka Potente, Fatih Akin,Daniel Bruehl, Tom Tykwer to Caroline Link who had all received the award atthe beginning of their careers. "The impressive discoveries among theup-and-coming generation by the Bavarian Film Award is a Who's Who of Germancinema," Stoiber said.

The complete list ofprize-winners is as follows:

Producers Award - BerndEichinger for Downfall
Direction - Dennis Gansel (Napola)
Actress - Jessica Schwarz (Off Beat)
Actor - Bruno Ganz (Downfall)
Newcomer Actress - Julia Jentsch (The Edukators)
Newcomer Actor - Matthias Schweighoefer (Off Beat)
Debut Direction - Florian Gallenberger (Shadows Of Time)
Screenplay - Oskar Roehler (Agnes And His Brothers)
Documentary - Thomas Grube and Enrique Sanchez Lansch (Rhythm Is It!)
Cinematography - Juergen Juerges (Shadows Of Time)
Comedy - Michael "Bully" Herbig (Dreamship Surprise)
VGF Producer Award - schlicht undergreifend (Budweg/Schmid GbR) for Aus Der Tiefe Des Raumes
Audience Award - Downfall by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Honorary Award - Volker Schloendorff (Luther)